The Question
by ttfan111robstar1
Summary: "Mommy, did Daddy leave because he doesn't love us anymore?" Spencer asks his mother a question for which she has no answer. One-Shot.


It was the late evening, and Diana Reid was tucking her son Spencer into bed. She sat at his bedside, reading him the book "Tess Of The D'Urbervilles" by Thomas Hardy. After the night's chapter was done, she gently closed the book and kissed her son's forehead. She was so proud of him.

"Goodnight, Spencer."

She was about to get up when he tugged at her hand. She sat back down at his bedside and faced him.

"What is it, baby?" She brushed a lock of hair away from his eyes. He looked up at her, brown eyes boring into her blue ones, as if he were searching for something. He pursed his lips, implying that he couldn't find what he wanted by gaze alone. He looked at her innocently, and for a moment she forgot that he was mature far beyond his years. In that moment he looked like a frightened little three year old boy. She half expected him to ask her to leave the hall light on to chase some invisible monsters away. She recovered in the half second before he sighed and asked the question that had been plaguing him for weeks.

"Mommy, did Daddy leave because he doesn't love us anymore?"

The question caught her totally off guard. She had the urge to flinch, but controlled it.

It was a fair question he posed. Then again, he was her son, so it wasn't surprising. William had left them three weeks ago, and it had nearly crushed her. Despite that, Diana refused to give up. She was fighting for a better life for her son. She had a responsibility as a mother to care for and protect him. She could make it on her own, she just had to keep going.

It was physically painful for her to consider the question he posed. To have her still-beating heart ripped from her chest as she watched the man that she had loved so deeply leave her and the most precious thing In her life was like being stabbed constantly. Her will to survive was the only thing that propelled her onward- otherwise she would have succumbed to blood loss.

She felt the corners of her mouth tip up a little as she tried to smile apologetically.

"I don't know, baby. I wish I could give you an answer, but I just don't know."

"Do you think he'll ever come back?" He asked, more meekly this time. Diana hesitated, then sighed.

"there's always a possibility... I just don't want you to get your hopes up and then be let down if it doesn't happen."

Spencer shut his eyes and nodded, and Diana could tell he was fighting his tears. one leaked out of the corner of his eye, and Diana kissed it away. She knew he probably felt embarrassed, but he had no reason to. It was a hard reality to deal with at the tender age of seven. She stroked his cheek and lifted his chin, forcing him to look at her.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. I promise that I'll get us through this in one piece." He turned his face away from her and sniffled slightly. Diana continually longed for the days of his infancy. At least then he could be emotional without feeling guilty or embarrassed about it. He would have been so much easier to comfort, too.

Diana kissed the crown of his head. "Everything's going to be alright."

He nodded this time, saying nothing. Diana decided that that was the best she was going to get out of him at the moment.

She gave him a big hug, a kiss, and whispered how much she loved him. As she crossed the threshold of his room, she stole one last glimpse of her son, who was rubbing one eye behind his glasses and had his other hand busy as he started sucking his thumb for what might have been the first time in two years. Although she maintained that it was a vulgar habit, tonight She decided to let it go. She didn't have the strength or energy to deal with that right now. She vowed to herself that tomorrow would be the beginning of a fresh start for them both. For now, though, she would wrestle with her inner demons and wait until her son was asleep to break down. With a heavy heart, she flicked off the light, shut her son's door, and retired to her bedroom to get some much needed sleep.


End file.
